Flowers of the Desert

Éditions de Tavas

A nurse specialising in tropical medicine, Evelyne Boillat Bajgrowicz has carried out several missions in Burkina Faso, on board the Africa Mercy in Guinea-Conakry and in South Sudan in precarious conditions. She witnessed very harsh life scenes, with populations weakened by war, cholera epidemics and extreme poverty. 

She recalls:

"In these latitudes, the sun is burning, the land is arid and health is fragile. There was the death of some children, which I would not get used to. The healing of others. Uncertainty mixed with hope. The desire to scream at the injustice, in the hope of bringing back these little ones. The cries of joy to celebrate the children with their newfound smiles. The sweetness of life, the gift it represents. Life and death, again and again, overlapping and intertwining in a hellish struggle."

Today, Evelyne feels enriched by all these episodes shared with these "Flowers of the Desert", patients she accompanied and caregivers with whom she worked.

This sincere and well-documented account is an ode to life, resilience and hope, reminding us of the importance of solidarity and commitment to face the challenges of our world.